The Meaning Of Team
by CosmicDucks
Summary: AU Sasuke defected to Orochimaru. Naruto left to go train with Jiraya. Kakashi started taking ANBU missions again. And Sakura? Well, she's not quite sure yet.
1. Chapter 1

In hindsight it had been a ridiculous request. Embarrassment slowly flooded her cheeks as she realized how foolish she must've sounded when she had asked the woman who is the world's best medic and the fifth hokage to teach her on top of all her other responsibilities. Of course she would say no.

"Ah, Tsunade-sama, I know I'm asking a lot, but if you could please just let me prove-" Sakura begins to plead, but Tsunade is having none of it. "Haruno Sakura, my answer is final. Pestering me will only result in you getting D ranks for at least a month." Tsunade's tone softens slightly, but her expression remains firm. "I am uncertain you have the necessary skills to become my apprentice."

Sakura barely manages to suppress a wince. So it's because she's weak then. She's always been weak, and she _hates_ it. "I understand. Sorry to have bothered you." She replies softly. Shizune, who'd actually _been_ the hokage's student, gives her a look of pity. "Look. If you're still interested in becoming a medic, perhaps someone at the hospital will be willing to teach you." Tsunade tells her. Sakura nods and quickly excuses herself. She goes home and it isn't until she's clicked her front door shut that she starts crying.

"Stupid, I've been so stupid." Sakura berates herself between sobs. What, did she think that because her teammates were being trained by Sanin she would be too? Sakura let out a harsh laugh through her tears. Stupid. Her teammates were the last Uchiha and a demon container. She was a paper ninja from a civilian family. She couldn't compete with them.

But what could she do? She didn't have any teammates in the village or a sensei to teach her. She had been left behind. Again. Sakura dragged herself up to her bedroom before throwing herself u gracefully onto her bed. What came next?

"I'm tired of being weak. Of being left behind." Sakura said to herself. But what could she do to change that? Could she change that? But how? Her attempt to get Tsunade to train her failed spectacularly, so what did that leave her?

Sakura bit her lip. Retiring as a thirteen year old genin? How humiliating. But being so weak as to remain a genin while all her peers moved forward was even worse. What would her teammates think? What would Ino think? Sakura grit her teeth. Her teammates might not even notice. Well, Naruto would when he got back, whenever that was. Sasuke might not even come back, and Kakashi? She hadn't seen him in ages! Even when she was the only student he had left to train he didn't pay much attention to her.

"I'll just have to find my own teacher then." Sakura declared, feeling only half as confident as she sounded. Tsunade had mentioned going to the hospital. Sakura nodded, "It's a start. I'll go there tomorrow."

X-X-X

The hospital was open 24-7, but Sakura highly doubted they'd want her there at the crack of dawn. So she didn't wake up any earlier than she normally did, and took her time making her way to the hospital. Hopefully things would go better here than they had with Tsunade. Well, the hokage did send her here, and she probably wouldn't have bothered if they'd just turn her away too. Unless she lied to Sakura to get her out of her hair. Sakura grimaced, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. The sound of her name snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Sakura! Over here forehead!" It was Ino. Even if she hadn't recognized the voice, no one else would've dared to call her that. Sakura turned around and gave her rival and friend a smile, "What's up, Pig?" Ino rolled her eyes at the nickname, but was smiling, "I've got an apprenticeship, so I'm going to the hospital." Sakura blinked, had Ino gotten the same idea too? Sakura considered telling her that she was planning on obtaining an apprenticeship herself, but with the previous rejection fresh in her mind she didn't bring it up.

"So the hospital staff has agreed to teach you? That's great!" Sakura said instead. Ino's smile grew and she brightened, "Even better! Tsunade-Sama herself agreed to teach me when I approached her the other day. She says I have good potential." Ino bragged. "Oh." Sakura stated, suddenly feeling unpleasant and very, very upset. "T-that's amazing Ino! I'm happy for you." Sakura told her friend. "Thanks. So what are you up to?" Ino questioned.

"The library. My minds my greatest strength, isn't it? I've gotta keep it sharp." Sakura tapped a finger to her head and put on a fake smile. Ino might not have bought it, but didn't question further. "You do that. The hospital is up ahead, I'll see you later." Ino left with a wave.

Sakura clenched her hands into fists. Tsunade rejected her, but not Ino. Sakura couldn't help but feel jealous. Ino was her equal, what did Tsunade see in Ino that she couldn't also see in Sakura? Sakura felt horrible for thinking it and knew if it was the other way around Ino would probably be happy for her, but she couldn't help it. The dismay over yesterday returned in full force, with the information of Ino's apprenticeship on top of it. Sakura quickly blinked the unshed tears out of her eyes. No, she needed to get a grip, not be jealous over Ino. If Tsunade wants to train Ino and not Sakura, fine. Sakura would train herself, and she wouldn't let her rival leave her behind. Not when everyone else had.

Sakura shoved down her feelings of anger and inadequacy and marched over to the library. The sight of the library soothed her, once she was inside and surrounded by books and paper and quiet, Sakura felt almost completely calm. She was in her element.

She browsed the shelves, looking for a book that caught her interest. There was one on medical ninjutsu, Sakura reached out for it but stopped, and let her hand drop back to her side. As useful of a skill as it would be, Tsunade's rejection was still fresh in her mind, and more importantly, she wasn't going to have people think she was trying to copy Ino. She was her own person, and she'd find something that would better distinguish herself from her peers and keep her on their level. A thin red book caught her attention.

"The Fundamentals of Genjutsu. Huh." Sakura gave the book a thoughtful look. Iruka and the other academy instructors always said she seemed to have an affinity for genjutsu, something not many leaf ninja specialized in. "Genjutsu it is then." Sakura decided before tucking the book under her arm. She wondered if she could find any other books on the subject while she was here.

To her disappointment, she only found two other books. One that focused on the sensing and dispelling of genjutsu (which would undoubtedly be helpful) and another that was primarily about genjutsu and its affect on the mind and body. Compared to the numerous books and scrolls on ninjutsu and taijutsu, Sakura was underwhelmed. But something was better than nothing.

Finding an unoccupied table, Sakura wasted no time getting to work. None of the books were all that thick, so she managed to get a quarter way done with the second book sometime in the afternoon. Sakura had been so engrossed in her readings that she was unaware of how much time had passed until her stomach began to rumble.

' _It's already half past one? I've been in the library_ _this whole time.'_ Sakura blinked in surprise before stretching. She had a solid understanding of the basics of genjutsu's effect on the body and how it was supposed to be done, now it was time to attempt to actually do it. Her stomach growled again. "Maybe I can grab some lunch first."

Sakura checked out her books and picked up some dango before heading over to the training grounds, a spring in her step. It was so exciting! She'd finally have something to help put her on equal footing with everyone else. Sure, genjutsu might not be flashy or destructive like ninjutsu, but it definitely had its uses. Maybe not against the sharingan or byakugan, but she doubted she'd be facing off against any Uchiha or Hyuga anytime soon.

The training ground was empty, much to Sakura's relief, and she made quick work of one of her dango sticks before opening The Fundamentals of Genjutsu. The book contained two basic genjutsu techniques: the false surroundings technique and the hell viewing technique. Sakura read through the instructions one final time before attempting the false surroundings illusion.

Sakura carefully ran her hands through the required seals and attempted to make the flat, grassy training area look like a dense forest. The scenery changed, but not entirely. There were a few massive trees with large leaves and vines and other foliage here and there, but the area she tried to cover was large, and the genjutsu almost seemed to be spread too thin. Plants and trees lacked detail, and seemed...fake. The leaves did not have any veins and the bark looked too smooth. Sakura dispelled the genjutsu.

She needed things to be more detailed, and less spread out. Maybe if she tried again in a smaller area? But that wouldn't guarantee things would be more realistic. Maybe if she just concentrated harder? Sakura ran her hands through the seals again, and envisioned a dense jungle, much like the one in the forest of death. The grassy portion of the training grounds around her became dark, dense forest, with thick leafy bushes and trees that towered over her.

"It looks a little more realistic this time." Sakura mused. An improvement, but she could make it better. If she really wanted to fool people, she had to get even the smallest details correct. With that in mind, Sakura ran through the required seals and cast the illusion all over again.

Sakura had spent the better part of an hour practicing the false surroundings illusion, but she was finally satisfied with the results. "Too bad I don't have someone to test them on." Sakura sighed. She glanced over at the second technique in her book, the hell viewing illusion. Sakura had plenty of experience with it unfortunately, from both her sensei and an S-class criminal. Sakura glanced over the instructions of the jutsu. It didn't seem too complex, but she'd need someone to cast it on if she wanted to know whether or not it'd work.

Sakura considered attempting it anyway, but took a moment to check her reserves. "Nearly depleted. I guess I'll have to try later." Sakura commented, feeling slightly annoyed. Sasuke wouldn't have been winded after an hour, and Naruto had enough chakra to last him for days, even Ino wouldn't have run out of chakra yet!

Sakura let out a huff. She really needed to do something about that. Maybe the library had something that would be of use to her. With a stretch and a yawn, Sakura gathered her things and left the training ground, she'd do more tomorrow.

X-X-X

The library, Sakura reflected as she made her way to the training grounds, was a vastly underused resource for Shinobi. There was so much knowledge on such a wide variety of things, yet Sakura seemed to be the only one really utilizing it, and even she'd only just start to take advantage of what it had to offer. She checked out two different books on chakra theory and manipulation and even found a section on various ways to increase ones reserves.

"With these exercises, maybe I'll finally have enough chakra to learn some ninjutsu!" Sakura exclaimed. Or at the very least not constantly suffer from chakra exhaustion. Still, it would be cool to learn an elemental jutsu or two later on. But she had enough to work on for now.

"Since we have a mission later today, but I'm cutting our training session sort for today. Good job everyone. I'll see you at the Hokage tower in two hours." A pleasant voice says from the other side of the field. It's someone Sakura has actually been considering seeking out. Kurenai, the greatest (and as far as she knows) only genjutsu expert in Kohona. And she's with her team.

Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat at the sight of them. She couldn't make out the words, but they were happy. Kiba was doing most of the talking as he lead his teammates from the training grounds, Akamaru at his heels, while the other two listened to him and occasionally put in their own input.

Sakura wondered if they were going out to eat together. It was almost lunch time. Her team rarely ate lunch together. In fact, Sakura could count all the times on her fingers when two or more of them went and ate ramen together (Naruto, being himself, refused to eat elsewhere). Come to think of it her team rarely did anything together outside of missions and training. Once they were dismissed they had been all to eager to get away from each other. Naruto always did like to ask her on a date, and she'd be lying if she claimed she'd never done the same to Sasuke-kun. Sakura watches their retreating figures with a twinge of jealously, before she remembers that Kurenai is still there, and the older woman's eyes are focused on her.

They're a lovely shade of red, warm and intelligent, and Sakura thinks that everything else about Kurenai is pretty lovely too. Black hair that was intentionally scruffy, but didn't make her look messy, and a fully matured body with a figure subtly emphasized with the tightly wrapped bandages making up her dress. The Jounin raises a brow, and Sakura flushes at having been caught staring.

"Ah, hello Yuhi-san." Sakura greets, unsure of how to go about asking the woman for tips on genjutsu. She gives Sakura a small smile, "Hello. Sakura-chan, is that right?" Kurenai asks. Sakura nods, feeling slightly less nervous thanks to the woman's amiable tone. "It's nice to meet you. I, um, study genjutsu too. Though I'm nowhere near advanced. Just starting out really." Sakura finishes in a rush. She doesn't want to sound cocky, especially since she's only just gotten started.

Kurenai nods, and as if sensing Sakura's thoughts she gives her an offer, "I see. Did you perhaps want any pointers?" "R-really? I mean, only if that's okay, I really don't want to bother you." Sakura stammers. She can't help but feel surprised that the woman would bother to help her out. Maybe she just didn't want Sakura beating around the bush. Still, it was an opportunity she wouldn't let go to waste.

"I've been working on the hell viewing technique, but I don't know if it works without someone to test it on. I was also curious why the false surroundings technique seems to work better on a smaller area, or if that's just cause I'm starting out." Sakura spoke quickly, trying to get all her questions out while she had the chance.

Kurenai blinked before tapping a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "I see. Concerning the hell viewing technique, it's different from the false surroundings. The hell viewing is aimed at specific targets whilst the false surroundings is on anyone close enough who's unaware of the jutsu. The hell viewing is very basic, but like all genjutsu that don't act more similarly to the false surroundings a sort of image or "secondary layer" can appear to show you what the target sees, as well as if you're doing it right. However you do need an actual target. Perhaps your sensei can help you with that. Kakashi isn't bad with genjutsu either."

Sakura fidgets and is uncertain of how to tactfully explain her sensei's ineptness for teaching, but Kurenai continues, saving her the trouble. "I suppose he might not have in depth explanations. He's never been a fan of lengthy educational lectures. As for the false surroundings, it was designed for a small area, so it can't be helped. However with enough practice you should be able to modify it and make it cover a larger area, at the expense of more chakra, of course. I hope that helped."

Sakura nodded, "Very much, thank you." Kurenai smiles, "I'm happy to give you pointers when I'm not working with my team. It's not often I find someone interested in genjutsu. It's refreshing. See you around Sakura-chan." Kurenai gave her a wave before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

 **Note: the wiki says Kurenai is like an older sister type. So I figure she's supportive and wouldn't mind helping Sakura out. Any suggestions on how to improve characterizations would be helpful though. Or just my writing in general.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: More people are following this than I had expected for this first chapter, I'm glad people like it. Thank you all so much for reviewing and following the story :) Anyway, this chapter is a bit slower paced and still focused heavily on Sakura, but other characters are going to start showing up more frequently next chapter.**

It's taken some time, but Sakura thinks it's safe to say she's gotten the false surroundings technique down. She could only cover a small area, but she was confident that her range would grow with practice and an increase in her reserves. ' _It'll be a while before that happens, sadly.'_ Sakura thought as took note of what was left of her reserves. Less than three hours in and she was already facing minor chakra exhaustion. Naruto and Sasuke-kun could've done it for days...well _maybe_ Sasuke-kun could. Naruto, for all his determination and insane chakra levels, was hopeless when it came to anything needing even a little finesse.

' _But having all the finesse in the world won't help me if I get tired this quickly._ ' Sakura grimaced. She needed to boost her reserves, but meditation was so time consuming and barely yielded any results. There was nothing for it but to keep going at it, she supposed. "And in the meantime I can check for anything useful at the library." Sakura smiled for a moment at the thought of books. They'd been her friends long before Ino or anyone else had come along. "Time to get a move on. I don't want to keep my 'friends' waiting."

XXX

The library was a wonderful resource-just not if you were trying to teach yourself genjutsu. "Genjutsu is one of the three Shinobi arts. And it doesn't have enough books for a _single_ shelf!" Sakura fumed. With so little information on the subject, it was no wonder Kurenai was the only genjutsu expert in the Leaf. ' _Now that I think about it, someone really needs to fix that. Sound was able to render nearly everyone who wasn't a Jounin unable to fight with that one feather technique.'_ The genin paused for a moment. Putting enemies to sleep before the fighting even began, now _that_ was something worth looking into, especially given her current skill set...or rather lack of one.

After an incredibly thorough search of the library that lasted nearly forty minutes, Sakura dumped her findings onto an empty table. Three scrolls on chakra manipulation, a textbook on anatomy that contained what looked like a promising section on the brain, a book on hand signs, and a novel that might not necessarily have anything to do with training (Despite her newfound enthusiasm, she wasn't going to devout all her time to training).

"These books should definitely help me out. They might not be on genjutsu, but they could have something useful." Sakura pulled out an empty scroll of her own and opened up the first book. "Let's see what we can find."

Sakura stayed until closing writing down whatever she thought might be useful, much to the librarian's annoyance. She was dead tired from the physical and mental strains of the day, but she was satisfied. She'd always been one to take studying seriously, but this was one of the few times where it would help her outside of the academy. ' _I wonder if Naruto and Sasuke-kun feel this happy whenever they train. Maybe that's why they like to do it so much.'_ Sakura looked up at the sky, decorated in various shades of orange and red and pink. _'I wonder if they're thinking about me too.'_

The pleasant feeling was replaced by a sad one, and Sakura was suddenly hit with the urge to cry. Sasuke-kun probably wasn't. Kakashi too. They were gone. Naruto might be thinking about her, but he was gone too. Sakura was well aware of the status of her team, or lack thereof, but for some reason, it had really hit her right now. They weren't a team. Not anymore. Sasuke-kun had his vengeance. Naruto had the Toad Sage to teach him. Kakashi had other matters that didn't involve being her teacher. But what did Sakura have? She had nothing.

XXX

Kurenai observed the spar between Kiba and Hinata whilst Shino took a quick break on the sidelines. Kiba's attacks were seemingly random, and not timed with Akamaru nearly as well as she'd witnessed with some of his older family members, and it was painfully obvious he was holding back. Most of his attacks either missed or were so weak Hinata hardly had to block to avoid taking damage.

"Alright, pause for a moment." Kurenai instructed. Kiba instantly relaxed from his fighting stance and Hinata let out a quiet sigh of relief. Hinata rarely came out on top in a spar with her teammates unless they lost willingly. Hinata's strength lied in taijutsu-even if her family couldn't see it-but she was just too reluctant to use it. And since she never went all out, Kiba and Shino didn't either, unless they were facing each other, which did nothing good for Hinata's self esteem. Kurenai resisted the urge to bite her lip. They meant well, and Kurenai was happy that they cared for one another, but the lack of significant progress could be frustrating sometimes.

"I know neither of you wants to seriously harm the other, but a little force is okay during the spar." Kurenai advised them, keeping her voice gentle and features relaxed. Kiba grimaced and Hinata stared forlornly at her feet and mumbled an apology. Kurenai walked over and placed a hand on their shoulders, "It's okay. It's good that you care for your teammates. But holding back in sparring will only hold back your development. Don't go crazy, but don't go easy either. Now why don't we start over? Shino, would you like to join in?"

Shino got up and walked over to his teammates. Kurenai gave them a nod and the sparing began all over again. Punches and kicks had more momentum behind them and the fighting went at a faster pace. Kurenai watched her team, satisfied that they took the advice to heart, when she registered another presence on the training field.

It was Kakashi's student, Haruno Sakura, whom was once again all by herself at the training grounds. Kurenai waved at the genin who eagerly waved back, and couldn't help but wonder where her sensei was. ' _Perhaps he just waits until later on in the day? But it's nearly two o'clock. Even he wouldn't show up that late. It doesn't leave a lot of time for missions. Maybe he lets her take D-ranks on her own? Sakura seems capable of taking matters into her own hands. And Kakashi is a more hands off type of person.'_ Kurenai thought Kakashi should pay more attention to his student, but not everyone taught the same way. Maybe it also helped make them independent? Then again, Sakura had was coming to her for help. Someone who was practically a stranger. While Kurenai was more than happy to provide the genin with assistance, Kakashi had more than enough knowledge to teach her the false surroundings technique and should've been willing to let her test the hell viewing technique on himself. He would know that genjutsu needs some assistance of it's to be taught. Unless he wasn't assisting her at all.

"Afternoon Kurenai-sensei. I hope I'm not bothering you, I just wanted to ask some questions real quick." Sakura told her. "Of course, it's no trouble. Shino, Kiba, Hinata, why don't you guys take a quick break." Kurenai suggested to her students. The three genin ceased sparring and sat or laid down on the grass. Kurenai turned back to see Sakura watching the, with an odd expression.

Kurenai realized it at once. She'd been the teammate of the demon container Naruto and the Uchiha. Both left the village, meaning Sakura no longer had a team. Kurenai knew that must've stung badly. And her prior assumption was correct. Kakashi wasn't teaching her. He wasn't teaching anyone despite the fact that that's what he was supposed to be doing. Kurenai kept her expression calm and her voice light and pleasant despite her anger at the copycat ninja, "So what can I help you with?" Sakura produced a scroll and unrolled it to show small, neat handwriting. "I went to the Library to look up more genjutsu but they didn't have any so I did research on other things that might help me and I remembered that really strange genjutsu someone used during the Chunin exams and thought it would be really useful to have, especially with a few modifications, but I'm not sure how it works and I had a few ideas but I needed help testing them out or seeing if they were even accurate." Sakura blurted out all in one fast paced jumble.

"Alright. I'll take a look and see if I can give you any advice." Kurenai took the scroll and glanced over it for a bit. She was impressed, especially by some of Sakura's ideas to make the technique more subtle, such as it being triggered by a small breeze or some other background noise. "I see...that's an interesting idea. It certainly would be a useful technique." Kurenai said. She recalled Azuma mentioning the technique to her since she had been with Hinata at the hospital and unable to witness it for herself, but Kurenai hadn't thought much of it afterwards. White feathers falling from the sky? Too eccentric for her tastes, and Azuma did say that it failed to trick even some of the genin. So she had brushed it off, never even thinking of trying to create a better genjutsu from it.

"I haven't fully read through it all, but most of it seems solid. I would be happy to provide assistance to you in figuring it out." Kurenai rolled up the scroll and offered it to the genin, "There's just one thing." Sakura tilted her head slightly, "Um, okay. What?" "I like you to come training with my team. This way they can have more experience detecting and dispelling genjutsu and you can have someone to practice on." Kurenai said _. 'And also that you don't get killed out on the field because your sensei seems to be shirking his duties.'_

"Sure, thank you so much for your help Kurenai-sensei!" Sakura told her. "I'm happy to help. See you tomorrow at eight."

XXX

"See you tomorrow at eight." Kurenai stated before giving a friendly wave of her hand in farewell. Sakura cheerfully said her goodbyes before practically skipping home. Sakura had been expecting only a few tips and pointers, but Kurenai was actually going to teach her. Sakura was going to learn something unique to _her_ , something someone wanted to teach her specifically and had not just been obligated to teach a group she'd been a part of. She couldn't wait.

 **Note: I hope Kurenai agreeing to train Sakura didn't seem too fake. Next chapter we'll start to see more of team 10 and maybe some action. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to Suzululu4moe, lulu, ashes, Kosomas, xoxo-No Name-xoxo and Sunny Ver 2.0 for reviewing.**

"You're up early today, do you have a mission?" Mebuki asked, handing a plate of freshly made food to her daughter. Sakura nodded and accepted the plate, "Kurenai-sensei is helping me with a genjutsu technique. She's an expert." Mebuki took a cup of tea from the counter and went to join her child. "Kurenai? Isn't your Jounin sensei, Kakashi? Ah, did he get her to help you? That's good to hear your sensei is getting people to better help you with your training."

Sakura halted her fork's ascent to her mouth. She gently lowered it back down before looking at her mother. Sakura gave her a smile that felt too artificial and strained, "Yeah...it's great, isn't it?" Sakura didn't feel that hungry anymore, but forced some food down anyway, hoping to avoid her mother picking up on her discomfort and questioning her about it. "Thanks for the food. I've got to get going now, I can't be late. Bye mom!" Sakura called as she slipped on her shoes and headed out the door.

A good habit of a ninja was to rise with the sun. Many civilians rose even earlier in the shopping district close to where Sakura lived. There were various stores and stalls, all brand new if not necessarily as well made as their predecessors prior to the invasion, but just as lively. Numerous people roamed the streets and there was no shortage of vendors shouting and trying to convince people to buy their wares. Sakura enjoyed the energy amount the crowd that sadly died down and the atmosphere grew more somber as she headed over to the Shinobi district.

The civilian districts were lively and loud, with plenty of shops and outdoor vendors and people. By comparison, the Shinobi district was dull. There were fewer stores, and most were dedicated to practical things such as weaponry or other gear, and lacked the personalization store owners in the civilian sector liked to put. There were many apartments, but they all looked the same. Even the people shared the somber atmosphere. Though, Sakura supposed one couldn't expect grown ninja to be all rainbows and sunshine. Walking through this area had always been her least favorite part of going to the training grounds. The clan compounds in the distance looked nicer, but they were out of the way, and Sakura tended not to go near them since she didn't have to.

Buildings gave way to tees and trees to a grassy field with three wooden poles bursting from the ground, not unlike the practice field team seven had used. Sakura was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Team seven had been a team. A fractured team but a team nonetheless. "But we aren't now. Not anymore." Sakura sighed.

"Did you say something?" A calm voice asked from behind her. Sakura let out a squeak and spun around, her heart beating. It was one of Kurenai's students. "Oh, um, hello...Shiho." Sakura greeted him. He pushed up his black glasses with a single finger, "It's Shino. You're Haruno Sakura." Sakura flushed, "Um yeah, hahah...sorry about messing up your name." Shino grunted and didn't say anything else. Sakura fidgeted uncomfortably. She'd never interacted with Shino often. Though, in her defense, few people did. His clan specialized in bugs of all things. Bleh.

Sakura sat down and fiddled with the grass, waiting for everyone else to show up. She pulled up a few strands of grass and watched the breeze carry them away from the palm of her hand. Gone in the wind. 'Just like my teammates.' She thought dryly.

There was a swirl of leaves, and Kurenai appeared. "Good morning. Shino. Sakura." Kurenai gave them a nod. Shino gave a slight nod back and Sakura waved, "Hi Kurenai-sensei." "Hinata and Kiba are running later than usual today." Shino commented. Sakura blinked. If Kakashi sensei had showed up and hour after their scheduled meeting time he'd be early. ' _Good thing for Shino he didn't hav_ e _Kakashi_ - _sensei_.' Sakura decided. "Oh they're almost here. They'll arrive from over there within a few moments." Kurenai stated as she gestured casually towards an area where the trees and shrubbery wasn't so thick. Moments later, three figures emerged and we're heading towards them.

"How'd you know Kurenai-sensei? Did you spot them on your way here?" Sakura asked. "I'm a chakra sensor; I can sense them from a kilo away. Literally." Kurenai replied. "Cool." Sakura wondered if she could learn something like that. Perhaps she could look into it later.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kiba called. Akamaru barked from his perch on Kiba's head. "H-hello ever-everyone." Hinata said shyly. "Good morning. Gather around everyone, we have a slight change in routine today." Kurenai informed them. "We'll do some basic warm ups and one on one sparing. But after that we're going to start working on some genjutsu training. I am aware that your bugs and doujutsu help you with this anyway, but the more you know, the better. Right? Start with the usual stretching, fifteen laps, and your push ups and crunches. But before you begin, Sakura may I see your scroll again? I'd like to look over it again if that's alright."

"It's no problem, here you go." Sakura fished the scroll out of her pack and handed it to Kurenai, grateful for her preparedness. "Thanks. You can all start now."

"S-s-so Sakura-san, will you b-be training with us regularly now? Um, n-not that I mind! I'm happy to have you! J-just curious is all! R-really!" Hinata stammered, her hands raised up as if in surrender. "It's okay, it's okay, I understand what you mean. After all it must be weird to have me popping in on your training sessions all of the sudden." Sakura assured her. "Eh, it's fine. The more the merrier, right Akamaru?" Kiba shrugged. Akamaru barked in response. The genin finished their stretches, and moved on to the next stage of their warm up.

The four genin took off, running the perimeter of the field, and Sakura immediately found herself hard pressed to keep up. Physical things had never been her strong suit, and Sakura was now being reminded of that. Knowing she couldn't possibly finish more than one or two laps at Kiba or Akamaru's ridiculous pace, she trailed in the back, slightly behind Hinata.

"You guys, wanna race?" Kiba laughed, easily maintaining his pace in the front. Sakura was reminded vaguely of Naruto with Kiba's loud voice and energy. Sakura didn't bother responding, instead opting to save her energy (and pride from the inevitable defeat). Shino likewise stayed silent. "N-no thanks Kiba. I w-want to pace myself." Hinata replied. Even running beside the girl, Sakura could barely hear her.

"Suit yourselves. C'mon Akamaru, let's go!" Kiba called, and he and his dog sped up further. Sakura was surprised, and possibly a little envious, that Kiba was able to maintain such a fast pace for such a long distance. He was nearly done with the first lap. Meanwhile Sakura herself, though moving at a more moderate pace, was already feeling the effects of her run. She'd begun to sweat lightly and her breaths had sped up slightly. 'And I'm only just finishing the first lap.' Sakura thought sullenly. She still had fourteen more to go.

By the time they'd finished the laps Sakura was sweaty and breathless. Her chest burned with every inhale and her hair stuck to her face. Having it short enough to leave a portion of her neck exposed was a small mercy. Kiba had already begun his push ups and crunches before she'd even gotten there, and neither Shino nor Hinata were as exhausted as she. Both, in fact, had already started their own exercises as well.

Sakura waited to catch her breath before joining them. Her arms shook slightly and she felt like calling it a day taking a nice hot shower but they were only just getting started.

"Good job everyone." Kurenai told them, though Sakura didn't know if that was an accurate statement in her case. "Alright, you can take a quick break before the sparing, in the meantime, I'd like to talk about the genjutsu training." Kurenai held Sakura's notes up. "I've been meaning to teach you all about genjutsu further, and Sakura has requested my help for learning a technique, which I am very happy to give. So to make matters easier I'll be training all of you at the same time. Are they're any issues with that?" The last part Sakura wasn't sure if it was directed at her or the other genin. She shook her head regardless.

"Alright, here's what we'll do: Sakura, the technique you'd like to learn is a bit advanced, so I'll be teaching you other genjutsu in order to help you perform this technique better. Meanwhile, the rest of you will practice breaking free of her jutsu or one of mine. Any questions? If not, we can begin the sparing. Hand to hand only. No weapons or jutsu. Animal or otherwise. Hinata, Sakura, would you like to go first?" Kurenai asked them.

Sakura inwardly groaned. She'd seen Hinata fight Neji. The Hyuga may have lost, but she was still more than what Sakura thought she could handle in pure taijutsu alone. 'I wanted help from Kurenai-sensei, didn't I? I should be happy she's offering to train me further.' With that thought, Sakura got up and faced Hinata. "Ready when you are."

Hinata slid into a fighting stance and nodded. "Begin." Kurenai nodded. Sakura immediately sprinted towards Hinata and swung her fist. Hinata sidestepped the blow and retreated backwards, arms up and ready to defend. Sakura went after her again, none of her blows connecting and Hinata never throwing a single punch. Sakura frowned in frustration at her slowness and breaths that were already starting to get heavy.

"C'mon Hinata, go on the offensive!" Kiba shouted from several feet away. Hinata sent a kick in Sakura's direction, which she dodged and responded with a left hook. Hinata blocked and struck her opened hand out towards Sakura's middle. Sakura dove to the side but wasn't fast enough to avoid a glancing blow. Had there been chakra involved, there'd be bruising. As it was, the attack simply felt unpleasant and certainly had not been delivered at full strength. Sakura wasn't sure if she should be happy with the small advantage or angry that Hinata was holding back. Hinata struck again, and the blow hit Sakura in the stomach, causing her to double over.

Sakura groaned and Hinata seemed torn between offering an apology or carrying through with her attack. "Hinata, keep pressing forward!" Kiba yelled from the sidelines, but Sakura had already recovered from the blow and was putting distance between herself and the other female. Hinata dashed after her and Sakura barely managed to dodge the open palmed strike aimed at her. Hinata's hand flew past her shoulder and the Hyuga immediately spun, spending another strike towards her. Sakura awkwardly brought her arms up to block, and managed to absorb most of the impact.

Hinata, however, didn't give her a chance to hit back. The smaller girl shoved Sakura forward and brought a leg up behind her, tripping Sakura and sending her roughly onto the ground. Sakura let out a groan and didn't bother getting up. She was nearly at her physical limit and had no desire to continue when the results would only lead to further embarrassment. Kurenai called the match.

"Hinata won that round, but good job to both of you. Kiba, Shino, it's your turn. Whenever you're ready." Kurenai told them. Hinata paused before slowly offering a hand to Sakura. Sakura took it and gave her a quiet thanks before getting out of the way for Kiba and Shino's spar.

Sakura plopped down gracelessly onto the grass and Hinata hesitated before settling several feet away. Akamaru hopped into her lap and Hinata pet the dog fondly. "Congrats on winning the spar Hinata. Maybe you could give me a few tips." Sakura commented. Hinata flushed, "O-oh it-t was nothing. I-I'm s-sure K-Kiba or Shino or even Kurenai-sensei would give b-better advice." "I think you should give yourself more credit." Sakura replied. Hinata mumbled something Sakura couldn't make out, and Sakura decided to leave it at that and return her attention towards the fight.

The spar between Kiba and Shino was faster paced and more aggressive, but without any actual anger. Kiba was constantly on the offensive and his attacks lacked any pattern she could pick up on whilst Shino focused primarily on defense, slipping an attack in whenever he could once an opening appeared. Further inspection of Kiba's form showed there were ,any openings, and Sakura wondered if it was due to not having Akamaru with him or if he was simply to focused on attacking. ' _It's probably a combination of the two_.' Sakura decided.

The fight lasted longer than the one between her and Hinata, but with predictable results. Kiba won. Shino, despite his better form, just couldn't keep up with the Inuzuka's superior speed, strength and stamina. The spar ended once Kiba had managed to knock Shino's feet out from under him and restrain him.

"Good job you two." Kurenai said from beside them. Kiba let go of his teammate and offered his hand, "Good match. Better luck next time, eh?" Shino took it with a small nod of thanks. Sakura blinked in surprise. She had expected Kiba to be the type of person the gloat. Naruto certainly would've had he beaten Sasuke-kun. Regardless of who the victor was the other would've sulked or demanded a rematch.

'Kiba and Shino aren't Naruto and Sasuke-kun though. They're different...almost more...mature?' Sakura frowned at the oddness yet accuracy of that statement. Kiba was like, Naruto: loud and brash and cocky and had a childish enjoyment of fighting and pranks. But he handled the victory much more tactfully than Naruto would've-at least against Sasuke-kun. Naruto could be shockingly mature at times, as few and far between as they were.

"S-Sakura-San?" Hinata asked. Sakura turned her attention outward toward the shy kunoichi, "Sorry, what was that?" "Um, well, K-Kurenai-sensei is having us work on chakra control exercises until lunch. I-I think we're working on the genjutsu practice after." Hinata mumbled. Sakura sighed in relief. Chakra control, something she was actually good at, and was an exercise that wouldn't be too physically demanding.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The exercise has taken literal hours, and Sakura was at the end of her rope. Only this time, she noted, she wasn't the only one. Kiba's chakra control was bad. Nowhere near as horrendous as Naruto's, but then Sakura had never met anyone else who was _that_ awful, but still needed improvement. The exercise has been simple. Curl a leaf. Sakura managed it on her first try. It took Hinata five minutes and Shino eight. It took Kiba over an hour. An hour Kurenai made them curl and uncurl their leaves until Kiba had finished. Sakura had gotten to the point where she felt she could do it in her sleep if she had to. It had been a slow hour.

Kurenai took it in a stride and offered Kiba any advice she felt would help him, but not before giving everyone else a new task to move onto once he'd finally managed to curl the leaf once. "I want you all to rip the leaf into halves and make them stick back together for at least a minute." Kurenai told them. She produced a leaf, tore it, and after a brief moment stuck them back together, and they stayed, even as she held it on just one side. "Chakra is a valuable tool that has few limits to how it can be used and molded. This next exercise will be difficult, it's something I've known Chunin to have trouble with, so don't be ashamed or frustrated if you don't get it as quickly as the leaf curling exercise, which is a more basic procedure." Kurenai offered Kiba an apologetic. The genin merely grunted and redoubled his efforts. He certainly had more focus than Naruto, Sakura had thought.

Fast forward to the present. Sakura had maybe less than a sixth of her reserves, and judging from the tired postures of her fellow genin, they were running low too. Sakura and Hinata had been the only ones to manage to hold the leaf halves together for a minute, while Shino couldn't manage more than half that time, and Kiba hadn't even come close.

"You all look like you're in need of a break. Good thing it's lunch time. For all your hard work and progress, it'll be my treat." Kurenai said. Kiba let out a cheer before loudly claiming Kurenai was the best. Sakura's eyebrows rose and she wasn't sure if her jaw hadn't dropped in shock. Kakashi-sensei would never even consider not mooching off his students when it came lunch time, and Kurenai was offering to treat all of them. _'Not gunna lie. Kurenai-sensei is definitely the_ _better sensei here, free lunch or not.'_ Sakura thought. Kurenai was patient, provided explanations when they needed them, arrived on time, was generous and reassuring, and she taught them. Not just the basics, but something more. Because she wanted them to succeed and wasn't just going to throw them to the wolves or expect them to figure it out. For the first time, Sakura felt almost _glad_ Kakashi had left her.

"Hey Sakura," Kiba called, the rest of team Kurenai had been heading towards the village, " you coming or what?" Sakura smiled, and there was nothing forced about it, "Yeah, wait up!"

 **Note: It says on the wiki that Shino's bugs can help him detect genjutsu and that Kurenai is a chakra sensor. So how was the fight? I'm not really sure how good it turned out. Any suggestions would be appreciated and, as always, thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to Sunny ver 2.0 and Xoxo No Name xoxo for reviewing, and just for everyone for following in general**.

The tea shop Kurenai took them to was one Sakura had never visited before. At first, she hadn't even known it was a restaurant since it looked so similar to the plain apartment complexes that resided in the Shinobi district. _'I get that flashiness isn't a shinobi's style, but honestly, they should have some color.'_ Sakura thought.

Kurenai held the door open and let them inside. The wallpaper was a soft green and save for the matching green and yellow table cloths, was the only bright and colorful thing about that place. Tables lacked decorations like flowers or cute napkin dispensers. The furniture was all a dark oak, and from far away it appeared to blend with the floor which was undoubtedly made from the same material. An older woman with black and grey hair and a stern expression held five menus in her hands, and appeared to be waiting for them.

"Hello Teruko-san," Kurenai greeted warmly. Teruko's features softened but it was a far cry from the motherly expressions Sakura remembered from her own grandmother. "Hello Kurenai. I see you've one extra this time around." Teruko gestured for them to sit. Kurenai sat on the side closer to Teruko and Sakura sat across from her with Hinata on her right.

"Yes, this is Haruno Sakura." Kurenai introduced. Sakura gave the woman a small smile, "Nice to meet you Teruko-San." "The pleasure's mine. As for orders, the usual?" Teruko asked. Everyone nodded. "And for you?" Teruko questioned. Sakura stole a quick glance at the menu. "Jasmine tea and miso soup." She blurted, not wanting to keep everyone waiting. Teruko nodded and went to the back of the shop, most likely to prepare the meal.

"You guys must come here a lot then." Sakura observed. "Yes," Kurenai agreed, "Teruko-san was my jounin instructor. She helped me with my chakra sensing skills, something that comes in handy on tracking missions."

"Yeah it's pretty cool, too bad she never uses it to help us catch Tora." Kiba growled the last word. Sakura grimaced, remembering all to well what a terror the cat could be. Hinata and Shino nodded in empathy.

"The f-first time Kiba tried to grab the cat it ended up m-m-mauling him and Akamaru." Hinata recalled. "Guess it proves cats are better than dogs." Shino shrugged, ignored Kiba's indignant shout. "Though Tora might be closer to a demon than a house cat." Shino admitted. "Yeah but if I had to be a pet to the diyamo's wife, I'd try to escape too!" Kiba exclaimed, "She's too clingy." "It does make you wonder though, how does Tora escape so easily? You'd think they'd do something about that by now." Sakura reflected.

"They should get a dog instead, right Akamaru?" There was an answering bark from atop Kiba's head, "Anyway, you'll never believe what Tora did this one time when..."

XXXXXXXX

"We are going to finally start your genjutsu training. Chakra control is an important part of both creating a genjutsu and dispelling it. To dispel a genjutsu, you place your hands in the ram seal position, and alter the flow of your chakra so it flares up and yell 'KAI'. Sakura, can you please cast an illusion to help me provide a demonstration?" Kurenai asked.

Sakura nodded before flying through the proper seals for the false surroundings technique. Rather than do something subtle and recreate the training field, Sakura created a lush jungle not unlike the forest of death. Massive trees towered above them, and the once grassy area became thick with brush and smaller ferns. Sakura couldn't help but grin at the surprised looks on Hinata's and Kiba's faces at the sudden transformation of the landscape.

' _Heh, I really outdid myself this time._ ' She thought. The leaves all had different hues and shapes patterns of veins running down them, the grass had been turned to dirt where the ground was visible, and the bark looked realistic rather than the too smooth surfaces she started out with.

Kurenai nodded in approval, "Nice attention to visual details. Just keep in mind the only senses the jutsu is fooling is strictly visual. I can work with you on that later. For now," Kurenai made the ram seal, "KAI." The jungle imagery faded back to the training grounds original appearance and the genjutsu was gone.

"Shino, Hinata, your with me. Sakura, I'd like you to practice your technique on Kiba." Kurenai beckoned for Hinata and Shino to come closer whilst Sakura and Kiba moved slightly farther away.

"Whenever your ready." Kiba said, stretching into a more comfortable position. Sakura placed herself two feet in front of him and begun taking note on their surroundings. The faded green color of the grass, mixed in with the yellowish brown straw color of dead plants as a result of too many feet stomping over them. Sakura observed the position of her legs and how her dress wrinkled in some places, how her hands rested in her lap. Kiba fidgeted, most likely wondering when Sakura was going to cast her genjutsu on him, or maybe even if she already had. Akamaru, sensing Kiba's restlessness went over rested his head on Kiba's lap.

Kiba smiled and reached out to pet the dog, and Sakura didn't waste the opportunity. Careful to keep her hands in her lap, Sakura wove through the seals and sent out a layer of chakra. The area was as close as Sakura could manage, save for her hands. While she held them together in the final seal, the illusion of her still had them resting idly in her lap.

Kiba's attention retuned to her. "So what are we waiting for? Is it really complicated or something? Kurenai-sensei can do them really quickly-well, I guess she is a Jounin, so it makes sense-" Kiba paused before thrusting his hands together. With a pulse of chakra and a shout, he dispelled her jutsu. "Had me fooled. How long do you have it up?" Kiba asked. "When you pet Akamaru. It was a great opportunity." Sakura replied.

Kiba nodded, "Alright. So rise and repeat?" Sakura looked over Kiba's shoulder, taking a quick glance at the others. Hinata and Shino both sat with a glazed look in their eyes. Kurenai must've gotten them. "Practice makes perfect." Sakura commented. They went through the false surroundings technique a couple of times, with Kiba being successfully able to dispel all of them within a minute of them being casted.

Kiba stretched and let out a yawn, "Man this gets old fast. Don't you have any other techniques or something? We've practiced the same one for a while now, I've got it." Sakura tapped her chin, "Well, I do know one other technique, but...it's not as tame as the false surroundings." "Sounds interesting, better than boring old trees. Let's try it!" Kiba said. "I don't know, I've been placed under it before. It's really unpleasant." Sakura replied. She did want someone to practice the hell viewing technique on, but she wasn't sure how Kiba would handle it. Or Kurenai-sensei for that matter. _'I don't want to anger her, especially since she's training me on top of caring for her own team.'_ Sakura thought.

"It'll be fine, how bad could it be?" Kiba asked. Sakura grimaced, thinking of her time in the Forest of Death. She barely suppressed a shiver. ' _You do need to practice to get stronger though, don't you? And Kiba is perfectly willing..._ ' Sakura hesitated. "Fine. But I'm warning you: the hell viewing technique is called that for a reason."

"Alright, let's see what you can-" Kiba was cut off as Sakura cast the jutsu on him. His eyes glazed over and Sakura blinked in surprise as a hazy image came into view over Kiba. _'Some sort of shadow of the genjutsu, like Kurenai-sensei said should happen._ ' Akamaru, who'd been lying on the grass shot upright and circled around Kiba.

Sakura's pleasure at her success was short lived, especially once she saw exactly what Kiba was seeing. What she had forced him to see.

Akamaru-or at least an illusion of him-was lying on his side, struggling to breathe and clearly in pain. His hind paw was bent the wrong way and multiple cuts littered his body. Some were smaller than her pinkie, but one was nearly the length of the pup's torso. A pale, gaunt and deformed ninja towered over the injured animal, a long and narrow Kunai raised over head. The ninja let out a disturbing laugh before plunging to weapon down-

"KAI!" Sakura shouted, dispersing her own genjutsu. Kiba started and whipped his head around. His gaze landed on Akamaru and he quickly gathered the dog is his arms, breathing out a shaky sigh of relief.

Sakura watched Kiba pet his dog's fur and Akamaru snuggled close to him, almost as if to reassure him. Guilt, greasy and bitter, engulfed her. _'I should've warned him better. He really didn't have a clue of what he was getting into.'_ Sakura swallowed, but the lump in her throat refused to go away. Once Kiba calmed down, he was going to be furious with her. She was furious at her. And there was no telling how Kurenai-sensei would react, it was obvious she cared about the wellbeing of her genin.

"Kiba I-" Sakura began desperately, not knowing what to say but knowing she had to say something. Kiba intervened, voice still a little shaky despite his attempts to sound casual, "That was intense." Sakura flinched, "I'm sorry. I should've-" Kiba shook his head, "You did try to warn me. I guess they do call it the Hell Viewing Technique for a reason." He laughed, but it was fake and failed to be reassuring.

"I'm still sorry though. You shouldn't have had to see that." Sakura apologized. Kiba shrugged, his hand never leaving Akamaru's head. "It's not the first time I've seen something like it. Akamaru got hurt real bad on a mission before...the guy in the illusion...he looked just like him." Sakura winced. "Sorry-"

"Just drop it already." Kiba growled. Sakura glanced at her shoes. For an instant, Kiba had sounded like Sasuke-kun.

Kiba sighed, "I'm still a bit shaken I guess. My bad. Look, let's just move on and forget about this, okay? We're cool." Sakura nodded, "If you say so." Kiba laid back onto the grass, resting his hands behind his head after putting Akamaru gently on his stomach. "I'm genjutsu-d out for the day. Kurenai-sensei's probably going to call it a day soon anyway."

Sure enough, Kurenai-sensei put an end to training for the day in a matter of minutes. "We're a little shaky but we're making progress and that's what matters. Good job everyone." Kurenai-sensei told them. She was about to dismiss them but suddenly turned her direction to several feet away. Sakura turned and was surprised to find another ninja only a few feet away.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Team Kurenai has summons from the Hokage to show up as soon as possible. The ninja glanced over at Sakura. "Uh, you wouldn't happen to be Haruno Sakura, would you?" Sakura blinked but nodded, "That's me." "How convenient. You've been requested too." The ninja said. Without another word, he dashed away, moving to fast for Sakura to track the motion as anything other than a blur.

The Hokage wanted to see them. Sakura felt a pang of anxiety. She hadn't seen the Hokage since her embarrassing rejection. A rejection made much worse by the fact that the Hokage had chosen Ino over her. Her rival had beaten her, even if Ino might not have known it. Sakura's jaw clenched as the unwelcome but familiar feeling of jealousy washed over her.

"That's not too surprising, we haven't been on a mission in a while and the village is a bit understaffed." Kurenai mused, "Well, let's not keep her waiting."

XXXX

The hokage's office was the same way Sakura had seen it last, but that wasn't surprising given how recently she'd been there. _'A while longer would've been fine by me.'_ She thought as she looked at the Hokage at her desk with her student and aide beside her. Sakura could all too easily picture Ino on the other side.

"Team Kurenai, Haruno Sakura, I have a mission for you." Tsunade offered a scroll to Kurenai, who accepted it and opened it in one fluid motion. "You are to recover a missing item for the client. Further details will be provided by you sensei. Things are hectic over here and we're understaffed, so I expect you back in two weeks, understood?" From the irritable look in her eye, Sakura knew it would be in their best interests not to disappoint her.

"Yes Hokage-sama." All five of them replied, more or less in unison. Shizune produced a small package that Kurenai took and placed in her weapons pouch. "You're dismissed." Tsunade ordered. Kurenai led them out of the building before giving further instructions.

"We'll be locating a family heirloom that's been suspected of being stolen. It's a valuable necklace belonging to the wife of a wealthy merchant clan in wave. I'm giving you all one hour to pack for the trip and meet me at the front gates. Pack lightly but be sure to have everything you need." Kurenai vanished, possibly to gather supplies of her own, leaving the four genin alone.

"I-I've n-never been to w-w-wave before. I hope it's n-nice." Hinata stammered. "If I recall correctly, Sokka has been." Shino replied cooly. Sakura blinked, "Sokka? Who?" She frowned, "Wait... Are...are you referring to me?" Sakura asked, confused. Shino pushed his glasses further up his nose, "It's unpleasant when someone gets your name wrong. Isn't it?"

Sakura blinked, unsure of whether or not she was going to burst out laughing or simply have her jaw drop. Shino was...teasing? Kiba snorted, "Sokka? If anything she looks more like a Yudai to me." "Y-y-you guys!" Hinata exclaimed, mortified at her teammate's teasing even though it wasn't directed at her. "D-d-don't m-mock S-Sakura-san, it's m-mean!" Hinata stuttered. Kiba raised his hands in surrender, "Alright alright. I'll leave her alone. For now. See you guys in an hour."

"See you there Kusai, Shiho." Sakura replied before going towards the direction of her house. "You too Hinata!" She called as an afterthought, not wanting to forget her. She heard an indignant 'hey!' from Kiba, and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

 **Note: How was the dialogue? Also, I kinda feel the hell viewing technique really didn't come off as that scary after the Chunin exams, so I wanted to show repercussions I feel like something like that should have. Anyway, that's it for this chapter, thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to Sunny Ver 2.0 , lulu, and xoxo-No Name-xoxo for reviewing, the feedback is appreciated, as is everyone else for following the story. And sorry for the delay! This chapter has been edited. It's all pretty much the same except for the ending.**

Sakura hurriedly chucked all the items she thought she'd need for the mission into her bag, silently debating if packing after the warm bath had been the best choice. Though, had she not spent nearly forty minutes in there it wouldn't have been an issue.

"And the one time where it would have actually payed off to have a late sensei." Sakura grumbled. Briefly she wondered what Kakashi-sen-just Kakashi-was doing. She hadn't seen him since the hospital rooftop fight. Sakura shoved a change of clothes into her bag with a little more force than necessary. Saying goodbye to Naruto had been the last she'd seen of her teammates, and he'd been gone for weeks.

"Well fine," Sakura huffed, not caring how childish she might sound, "I have missions to go on and someone to train me too!" Kurenai-sensei wasn't a sannin and probably didn't know a thousand jutsu, but she cared. And that was more than Sakura could say for her other teachers.

XXX

Like any well prepared and seasoned Shinobi, Kurenai already had materials ready to go for the mission. It was simply a matter of performing a quick double check and grabbing any extra materials she felt she might need for their trip. For the current mission, an extra first aid kit and rations would suffice.

Kurenai waited for her students on one of the benches not far from the outer gates of Kohona. _'I hope everyone packed properly for the trip.'_ She thought. Shino was always well prepared for missions, so Kurenai knew she wouldn't have to worry about him. Hinata came prepared as well, but she was often a little too much when it came to packing. Being prepared was something Kurenai did want to encourage in her students, but since they didn't have access to storage scrolls (most stores didn't like to sell them to anyone under the rank of Chunin) all the extra items would slow them down.

"I might have an empty storage scroll. If not I'll definitely get a hold of one later." Kurenai decided. Kurenai didn't really know what Sakura was like when it came to packing for missions, but she felt it save to assume the genin would have habits similar to either Shino or Hinata. Unfortunately, she couldn't say the same for Kiba.

Kurenai was fond of the boy, as she was of all her students, but Kiba was awful when it came to packing. He rarely brought more than an extra set of clothes, some rations, and a sleeping roll (sometimes not even that). ' _Maybe I should've brought more blankets._ ' Kurenai bit her lip. Ponchos might not have been a bad idea either, Wave did have a more damp climate. ' _It's nearly time to leave, I can't afford to go get some right now. If we really need them later, then we can buy them._ ' Kurenai just hoped the kids didn't catch a cold, missions were always miserable when one had to do them sick. ' _And it's one of the few instances were a small cold can be deadly.'_ Kurenai thought darkly.

Kurenai registered the familiar chakra signatures long before her students came within her sights. The four of them were walking together, Kiba (with Akamaru resting atop his head) and Sakura in the middle and Hinata and Shino flanking them. Kiba spoke and made a variety of hand gestures, and though Kurenai couldn't hear them well enough to know what they were saying she was able to make out the words chili powder and mouthwash. Shino wore an amused grin and Sakura was laughing.

' _Kids_ ' Kurenai thought fondly. Hinata was the first to notice her and timidly waved, drawing the attention of the other genin. Kurenai waved back.

"Afternoon everyone, glad to see you're on time." Kurenai told them. "Afternoon Kurenai-sensei." The genin replied, more or less in unison (save for Shino who simply nodded in her direction). Kurenai scanned each of her genin, especially their packs, and took note of how Hinata's bulged more than anyone else's and how Kiba's nearly didn't at all.

"I hope you all packed plenty of clothes and other necessities." Kurenai said, looking directly at Kiba. The brunette acted like he didn't notice. She really needed to make a lesson on how to pack for missions. Perhaps on the way back.

Kurenai clapped her hands together, "All right everyone, let's move out!" Rather than take off running, Kurenai led them at a civilian pace. Her students reserves didn't seem up for the task of leaping through trees just yet.

They walked for roughly an hour before Kurenai brought them to a halt. Kiba flopped gracelessly onto the ground before pulling out a ration bar and splitting it between himself and Akamaru. 'At least he remembered to pack some food this time.' Kurenai observed. The first time they'd had a mission outside the village Kiba had taken her warning of pack light a little too seriously.

"Alright everyone, just because we're on a mission doesn't mean we don't have the opportunity to work on something." Kurenai told them, "I'm going to assign each of you a task that I want you to improve on while we travel to wave. Kiba, I want you to perform basic chakra control exercises," Kiba let out a groan, "Shino I want you to work on your hand signs. You might have plenty of time to make them during training exercises, but in a real fight you'll be pressed for time. It might seem like a small thing to worry about, but you've got to have a solid foundation. Hinata, you'll work on detecting genjutsu. The byakugan is a useful tool, but it won't help you if you're unaware you are trapped in an illusion in the first place." Kurenai told her. Hinata gave a meek nod and Kurenai turned to her last student.

"Sakura, you'll be working on your genjutsu, so you'll be working with Hinata when she's not practice with me. But first I'd like to show you some things." Kurenai said. Sakura nodded eagerly and came over to Kurenai's side. Kurenai briefly considered having Hinata observe, but decided it would be better

Kurenai pulled out a storage scroll from her pouch, "Alright, here's a scenario. You've been assigned a mission to deliver a scroll containing important information. What are some ways you can prevent others from getting it?"

"You can either make a decoy or memorize the data and burn it." Sakura responded without a moments hesitation. Kurenai gave her a nod of approval, "Yes those are viable options, but here's another." Kurenai placed a simple cloaking illusion over the scroll, turning it into a comb.

"What do you think?" Kurenai asked. "It's almost like a henge, but you can't sense that someone is using chakra to alter its appearance." Sakura stated. Kurenai nodded, "Genjutsu cloaking works better than a henge for precisely that reason. Rather than cloaking an item in chakra to alter its appearance, it alters a person's senses to make them think that's what they're seeing."

Kurenai dispelled the illusion and the comb was a scroll again. I'd like you to practice cloaking things. It's similar to the false surroundings technique, so I expect you'll pick it up quickly. Once I'm satisfied with your cloaking abilities, we can move on to trying to fool the other senses. Any questions?" "No Kurenai-sensei." Sakura replied.

"Then I'll leave you to it." Kurenai went to briefly check on Shino and Kiba, and once she was satisfied, she went to Hinata. The girl was sitting down on the grassy floor, twiddling her thumbs.

"Sorry for the wait, but we can get started now if you're ready." Kurenai told her. "O-okay, I'm ready." Hinata replied softly.

Kurenai gathered her chakra, slowly, and took in her surroundings. The prickliness of the grass, the partly cloudy skies, the dirt covered path. As a genjutsu user one had to pay an intense amount to details, for the tiniest of inconsistencies could tip off the target, and any element of surprise would be ruined.

Kurenai expanded her senses, a task made effortless by the number of times she's done it throughout her life, and examined her student's chakra. It was average for a genin, and would no doubt grow throughout her training. The chakra was...soft in a way yet had an underlying strength, much like Hinata herself. To Kurenai, it almost seemed to vibrate with a tension that meant Hinata had gathered it in preparation to be used. Had Kurenai been less experienced Hinata might've sensed her illusion, but Kurenai didn't earn the title of genjutsu mistress by being an armature.

Hinata gave no indication of awareness when the false surroundings technique settled around them. ' _Your kekkei genkai is amazing, but that doesn't mean a Hyuga cannot be fooled.'_ Kurenai thought. It was all about awareness. That was a lesson, Kurenai hoped, that would be learned from their teacher the easy way, and not on their own.

XXXXX

They reached the land of wave nearly three days after their departure from Kohona, right at sundown. From what light Sakura could see by she saw that the little town had greatly flourished since she'd been there last. The streets were well lit, from both street lamps and lights from houses. There weren't any homeless people on the street that she could see, which was a definite improvement from last time. Even now, thinking of all those homeless and hopeless people made Sakura's heart ache. _'I'm glad to see things have started looking up for them_.' Still. She could've gone without seeing that bridge.

It was on the other side of the town, but the metal gleamed with the remnants of sunlight making it easier to see. The Naruto Bridge. Sakura did not want to cross it.

"Kurenai-sensei, will we keep moving forward?" Sakura asked, silently hoping the answer would be yes. Kurenai-sensei shook her head, "It's getting dark. We'll go find an inn." Sakura grimaced. Passing through the the bridge at night would've been preferable to broad daylight, when they'd be more likely to notice the shared name between the bridge and her hyperactive teammate. ' _Maybe it will be really foggy tomorrow?'_ With her luck, she doubted it.

"Wait a minute, Satsuki? No, Sakura, right? It's you." A rough voice spoke. Sakura turned to see an older man with a white beard who was is good shape, especially for someone his age. It wasn't too surprising though, given his profession. "Tazuna," Sakura greeted after a moment of surprised silence, "it's been a while, nice to see you. And Inari?" Sakura looked over at the boy by his side. "You've grown."

"You know these guys?" Kiba asked her, eyeing the bridge builder and his grandson. "Yes, Tazuna was a client on one of my-uh,well, team seven's missions." Sakura fumbled for the right words.

"Nice to meet you Tazuna, I am Kurenai, a jounin sensei, much like Kakashi was." Kurenai-sensei introduced herself, "These are my other students: Kiba, Hinata, and Shino." Tazuna gave them a nod, "It's gotten pretty dark out, looks like you guys could use a place to stay. Why not spend the night at our place? The inn is pretty crowded and Izanami would be glad to see you."

"O-oh um, that's very generous of you," Sakura began. She looked over at Kurenai-sensei. "Thank you, but we wouldn't want to burden you. We'll be on our way to the inn." Kurenai-sensei told him. Tazuna shrugged, "If that's what you want. Allow us to at least show you the way." Tazuna walked off and the others went to join him. Sakura was one of the last to follow, save for Inari.

"You're not with Naruto or the others." He commented. 'You don't have to remind me.' Sakura thought bitterly. "Nope." She said instead. "So um, why are you guys separated?" Inari asked. _'Does he only care about Naruto and the others?!_ ' Sakura thought with annoyance. "Training. They left to go train." Sakura told him in a clipped tone. Inari grimaced at her obvious displeasure. Up ahead, Sakura could hear Tazuna talking to Kurenai-sensei. "I'm training with Kurenai-sensei, if you were wondering." Sakura added. Inari nodded, "That's cool."

Sakura sighed. _'I was there too. I also helped protect Tazuna._ ' Sakura pondered over it for a moment. ' _Actually, I didn't really do much. Naruto and the others did, so it's only fair they get all the glory_.' Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. Accepting her uselessness back then was a bitter pill to swallow . . She very much wished that Kurenai-sensei had made them continue their journey.

"Here we are." Tazuna gestured to a large building that Sakura wasn't sure had been there during her last visit to wave. "Thank you both. I'll get us a room. Kiba, Shino, Hinata, cost with me?" Kurenai-sensei said, giving what she assumed Sakura would want as a chance to chat in private. Sakura wished she hadn' all vanished inside, Kurenai-sensei with an encouraging nod and Kiba with a small glance of concern, leaving Sakura with Tazuna and Inari.

"The others aren't with you. Everything alright?" Tazuna asked. Sakura felt her breathing change and her eyes water slightly. She quickly blinked any moisture away. "You could say that." She rasped. Tazuna gave her a look of sympathy, "Sorry, I shoulda kept my noisy mouth shut." Sakura shook her head, "It's fine."

"Did they die?" Inari asked. Sakura looked at him, his face twisted with concern. "No-I'm pretty sure." Sakura said. But did she truly know? Orochimaru could have easily killed Sasuke by now, he'd made that clear in the Chunin exams. Naruto was probably safe-or at least alive. Sakura didn't have a clue about Kakashi.

Inari looked down and kicked the dirt at his feet, "Oh. Okay." Sakura looked longingly at the entrance of the inn, wanting to join her unofficial teammates. "They'll be fine. I know it. The three of them are tough, 'specially Naruto. The next time you see him and the others, you've got to say hi them for me." Tazuna stated. Sakura nodded, "I will." If she did see all of them again.

XXXXXX

"I've gotten 2 rooms for us. Boys in one and girls in the other. One room is on the first floor over there, and the other is upstairs. We'll all meet in the dining area at nine in the morning. Hinata, can you please wait for Sakura? I need to take care of something." Kurenai-sensei said. Hinata nodded quickly, "S-sure t-thing S-sensei!" Kurenai-sensei gave her a smile and walked away.

"You want us to wait with you?" Kiba asked. Hinata shook her head, although she didn't want to be alone in an area she'd never been in before with a bunch of strangers, she didn't want to keep her teammates up later than they needed to be. Kiba frowned and looked ready to disagree with her, but Shino spoke up. "Hinata will be fine. There's nothing here she can't handle." He shifted his attention toward her, "Though he is correct. We don't mind waiting on Sokka with you."

Kiba snorted, "You still plan on calling her that?" Shino gave their teammate a flat look. "She still calls me Shiho." Kiba grinned, "I still think Daichi works better." "That's because you have poor taste in names." Shino retorted.

Hinata raised her hands, "Anyway it's fine really! I'm sure she won't take much longer. I-I can go check on her n-now in fact-t! Goodnight you two." Kiba still looked like he was ready to argue, but Shino grabbed him by the arm, "Goodnight. See you at nine."

The two left, leaving Hinata standing off to the side of the large reception area of the inn. Hinata couldn't help but feel uncomfortable standing so close to the receptionist but didn't know where else she could go. She wished Sakura would walk in so they could get to bed, but wouldn't dream of attempting to rush her. ' _I wish I had let them stay. It's too late now though.'_ Hinata sighed.

The front door opened, and Sakura stepped inside. She looked...troubled. Hinata frowned, what had happened? Hinata wanted to ask Sakura, and attempt to comfort her if she could, but she just wasn't sure how to. She settled instead on giving Sakura a small smile, mentally berating herself for not having done anything to help the girl. Sakura returned the smile weakly.

"Have the others turned in? You didn't have to wait on me ya know, but sorry for making you wait." Sakura told her. "It's no problem." Hinata told her. Hinata led Sakura to their room, the boys took the one on the upper floor, leaving the girls with the one closer.

"K-Kurenai-sensei is out for a little b-bit, b-but she should be back soon." Hinata informed Sakura. Sakura nodded, "Alright, we'll lets get to bed then. Shall we?"

XXX

Hinata had been lying on the rather stiff mattress when she heard a sound in the dark. Tensing slightly, she concentrated until she could make out the sound better. Crying. Hinata slowly pulled herself out of bed, to see Sakura staring out the window, tears on her face.

Hinata felt a surge of panic. What was she going to do?! She couldn't leave Sakura there, but what if she made it worse?! Hinata's palms began to sweat and she started to feel light headed. _'Helping her would be the right thing to do...but what if she doesn't want my help? I might just embarrass her more.'_ Hinata bit her lip and made an effort to slow her breathing. It would be okay, she just had to get up and ask what was wrong. Hinata took a deep breath before proping herself up to talk to Sakura. She opened her mouth to speak but Sakura was already walking out the door.

 **Note: I decided I didn't like the original ending. It felt sloppy and rushed, so I rewrote it.**


End file.
